Communication Monthly Journal of the British Dx Club June 2019 Edition 535
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISSN 0958-2142 COMMUNICATION MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH DX CLUB JUNE 2019 EDITION 535 EDITOR CHRISSY BRAND [email protected] TREASURER DAVE KENNY [email protected] SECRETARY ANDREW TETT [email protected] PRINTING ALAN PENNINGTON [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA STEPHEN HOWIE [email protected] BDXC WEB SITE: www.bdxc.org.uk BDXC ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BDXCUK/ Contents 2-3 News from HQ 18 -19 QSL Report 35 Beyond the Horizon 4-5 Open to Discussion 20 -21 Meyerton Fa lls Silent 35 Propagation 6-8 Help Desk 22 -27 Bolivian Mining Radio 36 -39 MW Logbook 9 Webwatch 28 Mining Radio Today 40 -42 Tropical Logbook 10 -13 Listening Post 29 -30 UK News 43 -51 HF Logbook 14 -15 Country Music is Coming 31 -32 Mediumwave Report 52-54 Alternative Airwaves 16 -17 S. European Report 32 -34 DX News 55 Contributors News From H.Q. Welcome to the June issue. We have a new date to add to your summer diary - the annual BDXC meeting in Twickenham will take place on Saturday 10 August. Thanks to Stephen Howie for organising this year’s gathering. Don’t forget the other big events coming up this summer - the BDXC FM gathering in Dorset on Saturday 6 July and the EDXC Conference in Andorra from 6 to 9 September. This will include a visit to Radio Valira on Friday 6 and Radio Andorra on Saturday 7 September. See DX Diary for more details of all of these. This month, am ongst a wide range of articles we have a fascinating feature about Bolivian mining radio stations, written by Martin Butera. Some of these used to be heard around the world on short wave, although just three remain and they a re now online and on FM or MW. Please note postal contributions for the next issue should be send to the Caversham address, Good listening from the BDXC Board, Alan, Andrew, Chris, Chrissy, Dave & Stephen British DX Club Membership Rates One year : Two years: UK £18 £35 Europe / Worldwide (Airmail) £30 / €40** / $45** £59 / €80** / $90** PDF version only (via email) £10 / €14** / $15** £20 / €28** / $30** Please make Cheques/Postal Orders payable to British DX Club . All applications and renewals to club treasu rer (see front page for address). **Payments in Euros or US$ - cash / Paypal only. Paypal payments should be sent to [email protected] Renewals may also be sent via bank transfer at no extra cost - please email for account details. Publications Broadcasts in English ** NEW ** Covering the A19 summer schedules. Extra printed copies while stocks last: UK £3, Europe £4, €5 or 5 IRCs. Rest of World £5, $US6 or 6 IRCs. Reception Report Forms - English language forms, featuring the BDXC logo, suitable for sending reports to most broadcasters. Price per 25: UK £5; Overseas: £7, €7, US$8 or 7 IRCs. Please send all orders (UK cheques/ Postal Orders payable to “British DX Club”) to: British DX Club, 19 Park Road, Shoreham -by-Sea, BN43 6PF ($ or € - cash or Paypal only) . All prices above include postage. Paypal payments to [email protected] Payments also welcome by bank transfer at no extra cost - please email for detail s. Front cover: Lee de Forest, 1873 -1961, was an American inventor with over 180 patents who described himself as the ‘Father of Radio’. This is R adio Free Asia ’s 70th QSL design and will be use used to confirm all valid reception reports received by RFA between May – August 2019. Reports can be sent by email to [email protected] or by postal mail to: Reception Reports, Radio Free Asia , 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036, USA 2 DX Diary Thursday 21 June: BBC World Service annual mid -winter broadcast to British Antarctic Survey to BAS staff working in Antarctica on midwinter's day in Antarctica. The schedule in 2018 was 2130-2200 UTC on 5985-Woofferton(UK), 7360 -Ascension Island, 9890 -Woofferton. Saturday 6 July: Dorset DX Gathering - at Durlston Country Park near Swanage, BH19 2JL. An opportunity to meet fellow members at an FM DX hotspot in the county. Nearby cafe/restaurant wi th superb views over Stu dland Bay. Details [email protected] Saturday 27 July: Reading DX meeting - Reading International Radio Group 1430-1700 in Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC), 35 -39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS. For details email Mike Barraclough [email protected] Saturday 10 August: Twickenham Summer Meeting at the Barmy Arms , The Embankment, Twickenham TW1 3DU from 1530 BST. All members welcome to join us for this informal afternoon by the River Thames. Depending on the weather, we hope to take up one of the large tables on the outdoor terrace in front of the pub. If the weat her is poor, or if the terrace is too busy, look for us indoors in the side annex of the pub. We are always easy to spot - with copies of Communication, other radio magazines and, occasionally, radio sets on the tables. Not to mention a topical t-shirt or two! Optional evening meal in a nearby Indian restaurant from 1900 BST. Further info [email protected] Friday 6 - Monday 9 September : European DX Council Conference 2019 in Andorra. If demand is high enough there will b e an EDXC coach leaving Toulouse on Thursday 5 September at around 1700 local time, to arrive in Andorra about 4 hours later. Email [email protected] if you wish to reserve a place on the coach. There wil l be a visit to Radio Val ira in Andorra on the morning of Friday 6 September. Conference registration will take place in the afternoon and the conference sessions will begin that evening. There will also be a visit to Radio Andorra on the Saturday. A coach will depart Andorra on Sunday afternoon for Toulouse and there will be a day of sightseeing in Toulouse on Monday 9 September. Updates and other information at https://edxcnews.wordpress.com For other events see the club website www.bdxc.org.uk and http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies New Members Welcome to the following new (and re turning) members: 1389 Paul Rudd, Dundee 2593 Dimitrios Valaris (M0SUY), Gateshead 2594 Akinory Shibata, Toyonaka City, Osaka, Japan 2595 Anthony Wake, Barnsley Member ’s Advertisement WANTED Vega 209, Vega 208, Vega 206 - must be in working condition; also Larkspur R210 - tuning filmscale must be intact. Contact John Evans (Tel 07732 030214 or email [email protected] 3 Open To Discussion With David Morris - [email protected] The sunshine has been booked for Saturday, 6 th July when we are all meeting at Durlston Country Park, near Swanage, BH19 2JL. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow enthusiasts in superb surroundings, and while we talk and play radio your family can go and discover the Globe, Tilly Whim caves, the lighthouse, dolphins, clifftop walks and fantastic views overlooking Poole Bay and the English Channel. There is an excellent café / restaurant in Durlston Castle. Come along any time after about 1030 and find the dark grey VW Tiguan in the top car park. The only charge for the day is the cost of car parking. As this is an elevated site, be warned that the path from the car park to the restaurant is steep. Bring your radios and your aerials and hear what an interference free location can do to your listening! Any questions? [email protected] before the day, or 07860 249065 on 6 th July. When you go to Amsterdam what is the premier tourist attraction? No, not Anne Frank’s House or the Science Museum. The ship of Radio Veronica from 1964 until closedown on 31 st August, 1974 claims first prize! On the north side of the harbour the mv Norderney is now in retirement. Whilst the aerial masts remain in situ the boat is now used as a nightclub and on a very sunny Sunday afternoon there was no way of going on board this icon of offshore radio broadcasting history. I am so pleased to have seen Veronica! Thank you to MIKE TERRY from Bournemouth who has sent OTD this information: “AJ Beirens was formerly of RNI, Radio Atlantis and many other stations. He has continued to write his very interesting blog which now has 34 chapters. The blog is entitled ‘Getting High on Radio’. You will find it at http://highonradio.blogspot.com There is information about AJ at The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame: ‘AJ Beirens was born in Brugge, Belgium in 1947, AJ was employed by Townsend Thoresen at their ferry terminal at Zeebrugge. A radio fan, he was very useful to the owners of Radio Northsea International. Based in Zurich, they could only hear their station on short wave but, if that transmitter was off the air, they did not know what was going on. 4 AJ would keep them informed by telex from his office. They came to rely on him. AJ suggested that the station should include a programme for DX-ers. It turned out that one of the owners, Edwin Bollier, was an enthusiastic DX-er himself and liked the idea. He asked AJ to present and produce the show. The first Northsea Goes DX was transmitted on 21st September 1970. From March 1973, he also presented a magazine programme Our World in Action. Both shows were only broadcast on the station's short wave outlets...’ http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djs7b.htm Mike concludes “I well remember his RNI DX programme, for me it was essential listening”.